heroes_unitefandomcom-20200214-history
Dane Whitman (Earth-616) (Marvel Series)
History Dane Whitman inherited his uncle Nathan's castle. He was unaware that his uncle had been the villainous Black Knight until finding notes and inventions. Eventually he came upon the Ebony Blade. Passing its test, Sir Percival explained the history of the blade and its curse. Taking the weapon Dane decided to be a hero, joining the Masters of Evil just as his uncle did, but with the intent of infiltrating them from within. This he did to aid the Avengers, but they did not trust him until he later assisted them against Kang the Conqueror. Crusades Dane later fought alongside the Defenders against the Enchantress, but was apparently turned to stone by her. The Valkyrie took possession of the Knight's Ebony Blade and his winged horse, Aragorn, and Dr. Strange took custody of his petrified form but the Defenders later attempted to restore him using the Evil Eye of Avalon. They discovered, however, that Whitman's spirit had been transported back in time to the 12th Century where it now inhabited the body of his own ancestor, Eobar Garrington. Whitman declined to return to the present day with the Defenders, and Valkyrie returned his sword to him; Whitman allowed her to keep the horse. Later, however, he was equipped with a new flying horse named Valinor and transported (still in Garrington's body) to the present day by the mage Merlyn, to carry out a special mission. Sent to find the amnesiac hero Captain Britain, Whitman then travelled with him to Otherworld to battle the evil Mordred and his master, the demonic Necromon, and save Camelot (at some point during the course of this quest, both heroes were briefly abducted by the Grandmaster to participate in his 'Contest of Champions'). After this mission was concluded, Whitman was returned to the 12th Century, though he did briefly travel forward again to attend Merlyn's funeral. Back in the past, he protected the mystical island of Avalon from the demonic Fomor, until Garrington's body was eventually destroyed during a battle involving the time travelling Avengers. Whitman's spirit returned to his original body, which became flesh and blood again. Avengers Dane served several tours of duty with the Avengers. While a member, his scientific knowledge came to be useful, especially when such minds as Iron Man and Hank Pym were not on the roster. He began his first extended membership with the team shortly after Vision stepped down as chairbeing. Dane participated in the siege on Avengers Mansion by the Masters of Evil (during which he was captured and beaten by Mister Hyde). Despite his injuries, Dane remained with the team after the membership shake up that followed. The curse of the Ebony Blade reasserted itself after the Avengers' associate member Marrina went insane and became the enormous Leviathan. Her husband Namor used the Ebony Blade to slay Marrina, reactivating the Knight's curse. Dane began to physically transform into an extension of the blade, his body seizing up until he required an exoskeleton to move it. After the Avengers disbanded, the Black Knight joined Thor in defense of Asgard from the invasion of the Egyptian Death God known as Seth, but his curse finally took hold and the Knight was trapped as an inanimate statue once again. Returned to his ancestral castle, Dane's statue was tended to by Victoria Bentley. She attempted a spell to restore him to life, but inadvertently summoned the spirit of the original Black Knight, Sir Percy of Scandia, in his place. After a series of adventures, Sir Percy abdicated Dane's body, taking the Ebony Blade's curse with him and restoring Whitman to his own body. Sir Percy had taken a squire named Sean Dolan, who Dane kept as his own. The Black Knight returned to the Avengers after this, first as a reserve substitute, and later as a full member. The curse of the Ebony Blade became too dangerous, and Dane eventually abandoned it choosing to use a technological weapon instead. He was involved in Operation Galactic Storm, during which he was part of Captain America's team, sent to the Kree Empire. At the end of that mission, Dane was among the Avengers who followed Iron Man to execute the Kree Supreme Intelligence, and was in fact the one who struck the mortal blow. While Dane would be away with the Avengers, Victoria Bentley retained ownership of the castle so he would not lose it. She could easily watch over the property as it neighbored hers. However, Dane's former squire became possessed by the Ebony Blade and turned into the Bloodwraith. The Bloodwraith accidentally killed Victoria during a duel between the Bloodwraith, Dane & Deadpool. Dane was later in a love triangle with Crystal and Sersi. He renounced his feelings for Crystal as she and her estranged husband Quicksilver attempted to reconcile. He agreed to become Sersi's "Gann Josin", a sort of psychic link between soulmates. After Proctor (an evil alternate version of Dane) was finally defeated, Sersi felt she was too dangerous and must exile herself. Dane went along with her. Ultraverse The two eventually ended up in the Ultraverse. Dane became a member of the local heroes known as Ultraforce. During a reality-shredding event known as Black September, the Avengers and Ultraforce joined forces against Loki and the combined sentient power of the Infinity Gems. In the aftermath, Dane remained in the Ultraverse as the new leader of Ultraforce. After leading Ultraforce for several months, Dane had the opportunity to return to Earth-616 after an alien invasion. He took the chance and passed through a portal leading back home. While Dane was in the body of his ancestor Eobar Garrington during the Crusades, he met the knight Bennet du Paris, who shortly became Exodus. This explained why Dane felt Exodus was somehow familiar when they 'first' met in Genosha sometime earlier. Heroes for Hire Sersi was later able to transport herself and Dane back to the present. Their 'Gann Josin' has apparently been broken and they have gone their separate ways aside from acting as reservist Avengers. Dane joined Luke Cage's Heroes for Hire shortly after his return. Not long after his return to Earth, the Lady of the Lake appeared to Dane, telling him he was destined to become Avalon's champion. She presented him with a new armor as well as the Shield of Night and the Sword of Light. While working with Heroes for Hire Dane came across the High Evolutionary's Knights of Wundagore and agreed to train them. It was at this time that Dane acquired one of their "atomic steeds". New Excalibur Dane had converted Garrett Castle into a museum. Dane suddenly switched bodies with the original Black Knight, Sir Percy of Scandia. The investigating New Excalibur found an ancient scroll in Percival's tomb showing the team as the saviors of Camelot. Traveling back to the era of King Arthur, Whitman met Percy and helped his ancestor, King Arthur, and Merlin defeat the dragons plaguing the kingdom (revealing the "dragons" to be Makluans in the process) and returned to the present. After assisting Excalibur in tracking down Juggernaut in Korea and returning him to the team, Whitman left in search of his real Ebony Blade. Captain Britain and MI-13 Recently returned to England, Whitman appeared to be wielding the original Blade again, using it to slaughter invading Skrulls. During the Invasion, Dane made his way through London protecting innocents and in doing so saved the life of civilian doctor Faiza Hussain. Faiza fought alongside Dane against the Skrull army and their Champion, Super Skrull until Dane was incapacitated and a newly resurrected Captain Britain came to their rescue. While Captain Britain fought Super Skrull, Faiza attempted to heal a dying Black Knight with her newfound abilities, and Dane - under the belief that he was on his deathbed - dubbed her his steward. Captain Britain was able to defeat the Super Skrull, Faiza healed Dane once magic returned to England and the Skrull Invasion in England came to an end; but not without revealing the new wielder of Excalibur: Faiza Hussain. Insanity and Euroforce He slowly started to become insane because of the power Ebony Blade. After encountering a fake Savage Steel robing a bank, he brutally beat the criminal, even costing him an eye and leaving him in a coma. After the Watcher's death and the release of the secrets buried in his eye, his attack on Savage Steel was revealed to Rebecca Stevens, a historian investigating the Blade who he previously met. She told him that the past users of the Blade had all fallen insane and offered help, but he refused. Later, he was recruited to lead the new Euroforce as a "temporal adjustment". Journey on Weirdworld Black Knight had fled to Weirdworld after killing Carnivore when losing control over the Ebony Blade as it increased in power. There, he murdered King Zaltin Tar to establish New Avalon and built an army of Amazons, Demon Dogs, Giants, Ice Swarms, Thunder & Lightning Dragons, Tribbitites, and Underwater Apes with the help of Shield and Spear. The army was formed in anticipation of the arrival of the Avengers Unity Division seeking to bring him to justice. When the Avengers Unity Division arrived, they encountered Black Knight and his army, ultimately separating him from the Ebony Blade, so that he could be apprehended. Later, commander Steve Rogers realized that the people of New Avalon relied upon Dane Whitman, and after defending the kingdom from the Fangs of the Serpent, Rebecca Stevens negotiated a compromise whereby Dane would remain in Weirdworld with her. Secret Empire When Captain America established a Hydra Empire in the United States of America, Hydra splinter groups started to form all over the world and several superhero teams were gathered to stop Hydra from going any further. Meanwhile, Dane Whitman returned to Europe to help Euroforce battle Hydra, but he was apprehend alongside several teammates, reamaining imprisoned till the Champions of Europe arrived and freed them. Notes Trivia Category:Characters Category:Heroes Category:Marvel Category:Marvel Characters Category:Marvel Heroes